Kidnapping in Walnut Grove
by theplaywrite
Summary: Albert and Andy went out fishing. However, the two boys are stopped by a group of men on the side of the road. But these men do not like the fact that they have been seen, so they go to extremes to make sure they leave the country unnoticed, with two boys as baggage.
1. Chapter 1

Albert POV

* * *

"Got one!" I screamed over to my friend, Andy. We've been fishing in the creek near town for over an hour and this was the first bite either of us had gotten.

"I got it. Boy, Albert, you caught a big one." Andy smiled, unhooking the fish from my rod.

"Just when I was about to give up on fishing for today." I commented.

"We probably should." Andy looked up at the sky. "Those dark clouds are moving in fast."

"Yea."

Andy and I got all our stuff together and started to walk back home. We have been great friends ever since the Ingalls took me in off the streets. Even though Andy is almost two years older than me, we get along great and have had a lot of good times together, even with Laura. My adopted sister didn't want to come out fishing with us today because ever since the first day of school, she's been obsessed with Almanzo Wilder.

Personally, Almanzo is a good guy, but too old for Laura. He seems almost ready for marriage, while Laura should get out and do more with her life before settling down. But, annoying as it can be sometimes, she loves him, if she even knows what love really is. It's hard for me to imagine Laura as a Wilder. I joked with Andy once that maybe him and Laura should get together instead. He pushed me into a pile of mud. They're just meant to be friends.

"Hey Andy. Do you like all those different projects Miss. Wilder has been assigning us?" I asked.

"I guess so. They sure have helped my grades some."

"You ever miss your mom teaching?"

"No way. The only good part about that was I didn't have to walk home alone."

We both started laughing. Andy looked back up at the sky again as the wind picked up.

"That cool air feels good. I've been waiting weeks for a nice storm to role through." He said.

"It sure would be good for the crops."

We kept walking down the same path we always used to get home. The clouds above took over the whole sky. The darker they got, the more I could smell the up-coming rain. I looked down the road and saw something strange. The more I looked at it, I realized it was just a wagon and some men on the side of the road. Still, I had a bad feeling in my gut about what I saw and we had to walk past it to get home.

"Hey Andy. Do you recognize those guys on the side of the road?" I asked, motioning over to the wagon.

"Not really. They might be lost." Andy's head seemed in the clouds.

I wanted to turn around, but we walked right up to them instead.

"Hey, you two boys?" One of the men walked over to us. I noticed that he had some sort of limp as he came forward. He looked dirty and tired. "My friend's wagon has a busted up wheel. I was wondering if you boys knew of anyone who could help repair it."

I quickly answered him. "There's a mercantile back in town. You could get some supplies and maybe some of the men working at the mill could help you repair the wheel if need be. The town's right down this road here." I pointed down the path Andy and I had just came from.

I looked over and saw there were two other men starring at us. All three of them were dirty, had oversized clothes and did not look happy to see us. One man, near the wagon, had really blonde hair, while the other was really tall and skinny.

"Well, there are some problems with that." The limping man replied. "You boys see, we don't have any money and it's no very safe for us to go into any town."

"Why not?" Andy asked over my shoulder.

"Because people might recognize us and we can't have that, can we guys?" The man looked behind him to see his buddies' heads shaking.

"Why can't you have people recognize you?" I asked.

"Because we're...criminals, who don't want to go to jail." He smiled at us.

"We got to go." I said, grabbing Andy's arm ready to make a run for it.

"Oh no you don't!"

The man grabbed each of us. We both tried to shake him, but he had great grip strength.

"You two aren't going anywhere."

"We won't tell anyone you guys were here." I rushed to say.

"We don't want any trouble." Andy said after me.

The blonde man came up behind Andy and grabbed him. We tried to get ourselves free, but the men were strong. They moved us over to the wagon and the tall man brought out some rope. They started to tie our hands behind our backs and then tie our legs together. We were thrown in the back of the old wagon and the tall man came up behind us. He gagged the two of us with pieces of cloth.

I looked over at Andy. I could tell he was getting scared, knowing that what was happening to us was real. I was scared too. Growing up in the city and the orphanage, I knew how bad people really can be. These men were going to take us away from our families, all because we saw them. My mind raced with thoughts of what might happen to us. I started sweating and shaking.

I could hear rain start to fall and then there was a huge crack of lightening.

"Don't cause us any trouble boys." I could make out one of the men say.

I looked back at Andy, then a tarp was thrown on top of us, turning the world black.


	2. Chapter 2

Andy POV

* * *

I don't know where we are going? I don't know who those men are? I don't know when I'll see my folks again?

I could hear the men talking, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. The sound of the wagon and the heavy rain hitting the tarp that was on top of us was all I could hear. I figured it had not been long since those men kidnapped us, so we shouldn't be that far away from town. I really hope my ma's motherly instinct sensed that I was in danger, especially since I didn't come home during a storm.

But, then again, how will anyone find out what happened to us?

I feel something kicking my tied legs. I realized it was only Albert. I want to say something, but I couldn't since my mouth was tied too. There was a large flash of lightening and I could see my friend's face for a moment. He looked just as scared as I felt. The ride itself was really rough. I could tell that one of the front wheels were broken. It would not be too long until the wheel totally fell apart in the rain and the men would have to pull over.

Sometime passed when I felt something tug at my shirt. Whatever it was, it manage to untuck my shirt and I felt...fingers touch my stomach. Then, I realized it had to be Albert, who managed to turn himself around. I knew I had to do the same, so we could hopefully undo our restraints. I flipped myself over and was able to find Albert's hands. We fumbled around for awhile. I could feel the ropes getting loss as we messed with them. We thought we found a way to escape.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and we were shaken. The wagon had stopped and was tiled forward where the front, left wheel should be. It had finally split. I could hear the men yelling at each other, with some curse words strung in their sentences. I flipped myself back over so they didn't think we were trying to escape.

The tarp was ripped away and the rain hit my face.

"Sorry boys. We might be here for awhile. Get comfortable." The man limped away, leaving Albert and I open to the pouring rain.

It had gotten really cold and the rain made it feel even worse. Neither of us were wearing jackets and our clothes were already soaked. The men kept talking as I looked over to see one of them leave. I looked over at Albert to have him look back at me. The other two men, the limper and the blonde, walked back to us.

"What do you want to do with these two?" The blonde asked.

"They could be useful later, but there is the possibility that someone is going to start looking for them." The limper replied.

"Let me just shoot them now."

"No! I don't want to have that on our hands too."

"We cannot bring them with us."

"I'll figure something out."

Then, there was shouting and the two men looked up.

"Hey guys!" It was the other tall man. "Guys, I found an old shack just down the hill there."

The men nodded and reached for us. Albert and I were dragged by the two men following the other one who was showing them the way to the old shack he was talking about. When we got there, I took note of the old, warn down shack. The roof had a hole in it and the panels of the walls were falling apart. The two of us were pushed inside and tied back to back in the corner. There was old straw on the ground, covering a muddy dirt floor. The men talked outside, until they had enough with the rain.

"Alright you two boys. Now, we are going to get our wagon and you are not going to cause any trouble or I might just think about shooting you. Got it?" Limper asked.

Before he was able to walkout, Albert started coughing. Limper turned back around with an annoyed look on his face. He walked over to Albert and took the gag out of his mouth to let him cough, then walked out.

"Don't worry Andy. We'll think of something to get away from those men." Albert reassured me. I knew Albert was street smart, but was he smart enough to get us out of this? "Let's just try to loosen these ropes again, before they come back. Then, I'll get that gag off you."

Albert turned to get a look at the ropes and started to work at them again. I decided to keep my eye at the door, to make sure none of the men were coming. I started to hear them come back with the wagon.

"I think-I think I almost got them."

"Hey!"

One of the men screamed and they all ran inside.

"What in the hell do you boys think you are doing?" Limper yelled at us, while Blonde and Tall retied the ropes and Albert's gag. "I told you not to cause trouble. You no-good, worthless boys could be dead in the river any second. Tie those ropes tight and lets finish with the wagon."

Now we were in a worse situation than we started. I started to think about my ma and pa. What were they doing right now and did they realize their son was gone? I looked over at the men and imagined my pa coming up behind them, beating them senseless.

Blonde came inside to grab something and sneered at us. "I wonder if anyone is looking for you boys? Haha. Probably not. You two could not mount up to anything. Pathetic little boys, just like your fathers."

I swore to make him regret saying that about my pa.


	3. Chapter 3

The whole Ingalls family was sitting down at the table ready to eat dinner, everyone except Albert.

"Where on Earth could he be?" Caroline asked out loud. "It's not like Albert to be this late."

Rain started hitting the window. Charles anxiously stood up and looked outside for his son.

"Laura, did Albert say anything about what he was doing today?" Charles said turing to his second oldest daughter.

Laura looked at her pa. "Well, he might have gone fishing with Andy down by the creek after school."

"I'm going to head over to the Garvey's, to see if he's there or if Andy knows where he is." Charles said, getting on his jacket and hat.

"Be careful out there in the storm." Carline warned.

"I will."

Charles hitched up his team and head out in the rain. He made his way through the storm to his friend's house. Charles drove up to the Garvey home and walked up to the front door. When he knocked on the door, it was immediately opened by Alice.

"Oh, Charles, come inside." Alice motioned for him to enter the home.

"Is Albert here?" The worried father asked.

"No." She answered.

"Charles." Jonathan stood up from the table. "Andy never came home either."

At that moment, the three adults realized that both their sons were missing.

"Laura said that they might have gone fishing by the creek."

Jonathan grabbed his jacket. "Alice stay here. We'll go out looking for them."

"But the storm." She replied.

"We'll be careful."

Charles and Jonathan ran out to the wagon and went down the road to the creek. They could hardly see anything as the made their way. When they got to the creek, the two men got down and walked along the creek.

"There's nothing Charles. Let's head into town. Maybe someone else saw them."

"Alright."

They got back on the wagon and headed for town, still keeping a look out. Charles heard cracking of sticks below the horses feet and looked down.

"Hey."

Charles got off the wagon and reached for something in the mud. What he picked up was a fishing rod.

"Charles, do you-do you think it's one of the boys?" Jonathan asked.

"I hope not." Charles got back in the wagon and rushed into town.

The town of Walnut Grove was quite, except for the occasional roar of thunder. The only light that could be seen was coming from Nellie's restaurant. Charles and Jonathan went over to the mercantile first. They banged on the door of the closed shop. Nels came into their sight with a lamp in his hand. Once he saw who it was, Nels ran to open the door.

"Charles, Jonathan. What's going on?" The store owner questioned.

"Albert and Andy never came home. We were wondering if you saw them in town earlier today." Charles said.

"What on Earth is going on out here?" Harriet walked over to the men with anger in her voice. "Charles and Jonathan, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Mrs. Olsen, Albert and Andy are missing. Have you seen them at all today?" Charles asked.

"Why, no. I haven't seen the likes of them." She answered.

"Do you have ideas about what could have happened?" Nels asked.

"They might have went fishing in the creek, but we already checked there." Jonathan stated.

Charles added something. "All we could find was a fishing road on the side of the road."

Nels nodded his head. "Alright. I'll help you look for them."

"We were going to check back at our places to see if they came home." Charles said.

"I'll ask some people around town for help."

"Neeeeeeeeellls!"

Charles and Jonathan set back on the road for their homes, while Nels went searching around town and the closer neighbors. The two fathers were almost in a panic. It's not like either of their sons to not come home, especially during a strong storm like the one they were stuck in.

"Charles, the boys are probably back at home waiting for us." Jonathan said, trying to ease his nerves.

At first, Charles didn't say anything. "I pray to God they are."

The wagon made it's way down the path to the Ingalls house. Caroline heard the sound and happily ran to open the door, thinking her husband and son were coming home. When she opened the door, the happiness disappeared, seeing Albert was not with them.

"Did you find Albert?" She asked.

"No, we didn't and Andy is missing too." Charles told his family. "Jonathan and I were going to go back to his place to see if they came back there."

"I'm going with you."

"Caroline."

"I'm going. Laura put Grace to bed and if the boys come, tell them to wait here until the storm is over."

Laura nodded to her mother. Charles, Caroline and Jonathan left in a hurry, leaving Laura to wish she would have gone fishing with them to make sure they got back home. The young lady shock her head and started to get her little sister ready for bed.

Once they got to the Garvey's house, Jonathan opened the door to find his wife pacing around the center of the room.

"Any luck finding them?" Alice asked.

Her husband walked up to her. "We got Nels looking around town and Charles and I were going to go around the farms near the creek to ask for more help."

"Alright."

The two men left again to continue the search.

"Don't worry Alice. We'll find them." Caroline said to her friend.

They pulled each other into a hug. They both felt useless, knowing that their sons were out somewhere and all they could do was wait for their husbands. There was a huge flashing of lightening and thunder. The wooden door suddenly flew open. The women looked over, imagining it was their sons, but only felt the wind that pushed it open. Alice went over and closed the door.

"They'll be alright. They're smart boys. They probably got caught in the rain and ran to find shelter. They might be at a neighbor's house or barn or any old building. They're just waiting out the storm." Alice said toward Caroline's direction. They both wanted to believe what she said was true.


	4. Chapter 4

Albert POV

* * *

I closed my eyes and sighed. When Andy and I tried to get the ropes untied, the three men came back in shack and retied them even tighter. I was getting really tired. Plans of escape had been running through my head for hours, but now I am not sure what to do. The world outside was almost pitch black. It must have gotten really late and God knows how far away from home we were. The storm calmed down and only a light rain was left.

I looked back over at Andy. He started to look angry, which was not like him. While I started to dose off, he looked wide awake. We just sat in that small, old hut, while the men were poorly trying to fix their wagon's wheel. They came in once and awhile to check on us. Sometimes, they would yell and curse at us. Probably to make us feel bad, so we would not try to escape again.

Limper walked in with a smile on his face. "Good news boys! We fixed the wheel enough to get back on the road. We'll set out for Ontario as soon as we see sunlight."

Ontario? Wait, Canada? These men were headed for Canada. I wondered what they had done that would make them want to leave the country so badly. Honestly, I did not want to find out. Andy looked at me and I could see the worry in his eyes. I realized we had to find a way to escape and soon. I put my mind back to work to come up with an escape plan, again. Blonde and Tall came into the shack, while Limper walked over to us.

"And as long as you two boys behave, things are going to be okay." He said, standing over Andy and I. Suddenly, something I never expected happened. Andy lifted his feet up and aggressively kicked Limper in the gut. He yelled in pain, holding his stomach.

"Hell! That's it! You little...!"

The ropes that kept Andy and I back to back were removed. They dragged Andy to the dirt floor and pushed me against the wall. Andy was repeatedly kicked in the stomach and back. One of them even got down and punched him in the face. I had to watch my best friend be beaten up by three men, and I could not do a thing about it. But there was something strange about the way Andy moved. Actually, he did not move at all. He just laid on the ground and took the beating. His eyes stayed wide open and he took the beating.

"We're leaving this one here. Get the stuff and the other boy." The men stopped beating Andy and made their way out to the wagon.

Andy looked up at me. The left side of his head was bleeding and I could only imagine how bad his body looked under his shirt. His eyes started to water and he began to nod off. I got scared. He could be seriously hurt. I did not want him to close his eyes because I wanted to know that he was okay, but his eye lids slowly closed. I bit down hard on the gag in my mouth and tried to make my way over to Andy. He started to cough and shack his head. The large gash on his head bled even more. I was almost able to reach him, but suddenly, a pair of large hands forcefully grabbed my shoulders.

"Come on boy." The man dragged me away from Andy and outside to the wagon.

They could not just leave him there! They could not! He could die tied up in that shack with his kind of injuries. But, they threw me in the back of the wagon and did not look back. I could feel the tears start rolling down my check. I wanted to escape to help my best friend. The wagon started to move, move away from where Andy was left. I started to cry even more. I just could not help it. Even if I did manage to escape later, I did not know if I would be able to find the shack.

Time went by as they drove me further away from Andy. I continued to sob in the back of the wagon. I did not want to believe that I would never see Andrew Garvey again. We went to school together everyday. We walked home together. We did jobs together. We played together all the time. He was one of my first real friends. The rain had completely stopped and I could start to see sunlight. It was beautiful.

The wagon slowed down. I could hear the men talking. Something about a town up ahead. There was no way they would leave a little boy tied up in the back of a wagon while they drove through town. They would have to untie me, then I would get away and back-track to find Andy. I had a feeling we were getting really close to the town. I looked up at the men.

"What about the kid? We can't leave him in the back like that." Tall reasoned.

"This kid is a pain. I don't want him as baggage when we cross the boarder. But at the same time, we can't have him talking." Limper confessed, looking at me with eyes like darts.

"Maybe if we hit him over the head hard enough, he might forget the whole thing." Blonde suggested.

Both of the other men shook their heads in agreement. What a stupid thing to agree upon. First, they kidnap two kids for no real reason. Then, shout out where they were headed. And now they believe they can hit me hard enough that I would forget what they did. They beat up Andy then left him to die in a shack. I will never forget them. But they believed otherwise.

The wagon stopped. The Tall man came around back and pulled me out of the wagon. Blonde untied the ropes and gag.

"Wait?" I tried to speak as the two men held my arms and faced me away from Limper. I could see his shadow. His fist raised in the morning air and aimed at the back of my head. I knew this was going to sting. But at least this would fuel the feeling revenge when I woke up. If I...


	5. Chapter 5

Albert POV

* * *

There was something cold on my forehead. What was I stuck under? I slowly tired to open my eyes. I saw a white ceiling. I was in a large room on a bed. I sat up. I had a really bad headache. Looking around, I noticed the room I was in was very decorated. It looked like an upper-class person's bedroom. How did I get here? The door suddenly opened up to an older woman walking in.

"I'm so glad you are awake." She said to me.

She walked to the side of the bed.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" I asked, still shaky.

"Sweetie." She brushed some hair out of my face. "My son found you laying on the side of the road."

"How long have I been?"

"About a day. Almost two. Are you lost? Are you an orphan?"

I rubbed my eyes. "Not any more. I have a family back...back in Walnut Grove."

"Walnut Grove? That small little town is miles away from here. Were you on a trip? Did you run away?"

Then, I remembered. I remembered the three men, the storm, the old shack and Andy. I got really panicked. "There was these three men. They kidnapped us and drove us out of town. Then they just left us."

"Us?"

"Andy. My friend."

The older lady's name was Rose. She lived with her son, Joseph, an attorney. He was the one who found me on the side of the road. He brought me back to his home and his mother and wife, Lisa, took care of me. They had a local doctor come in to make sure I was not seriously hurt. I did not pay much attention to the doctor, I was too worried about Andy.

I was sitting in bed again. Lisa made me some soup. I wanted to see my parents. Joseph walked in as I finished eating.

"How are you feeling Albert?"

I almost started to cry. "I want to go home. I want to see my ma and pa. I was so scared. I want to see my best friend."

"Don't worry Albert. I told my boss I was taking off work tomorrow. I'm going to drive you back to Walnut Grove. I want to get you back home to see your folks." He told me.

"Thank you." I did start to cry.

Joseph and Lisa did not have any kids yet, but they wanted to have kids later. That is why they wanted to help me. I could not ask for anything more. They also gave me some new clothes.

The next day, Lisa and Rose woke me up and gave me a delicious breakfast. Joseph waited outside for me. He told me it would take the whole day, maybe even longer to get back to Walnut Grove. We started driving down a long rode. I did not want to talk. I realized that I would have to tell my parents what happened me. Then, I would have to tell the Garvey's what happened to Andy. I did not know how I was going to do that.

Joseph understood that I was still shaken up. I told only him that the people who kidnapped us were criminals. He told me that when I got home, I should go to the police in Sleepy Eye to report it. I should have done it back in his home town, but I was so weak and did not want to deal with that. As time went by, I got more tired. I jumped in the back of the wagon and closed my eyes.

Some more time passed when Joseph called for me.

"Albert."

"What?"

"We're in Mancado. Walnut Grove should be close by."

I looked over the walls of the wagon. The sun was starting to set. I must have slept the whole day away. It would be well into the night when we would arrive back in town.

"Joseph, I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean? You're going home."

"I never told you that Andy, my best friend, wasn't dropped off in a different town. They left him in a shack to die. They beat him then just left him their. I don't know where they left him. I have to tell his parents what happened to their only son."

I started to cry again.

"Albert, no one is going to be mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong. People are going to be happy you are home." He tried to comfort him.

I watched the rode fly by. I had taken this rode a number of times before, but never this late in the day. The trees looked bigger and hills looked smaller. I could still feel some tears rolling down my cheek. But, before I knew it, I saw the light of the mercantile.

"Here we are, the small town of Walnut Grove. Which way is your home?"

I sat next to Joseph again, telling him which way to drive the wagon. It had been almost five days since I was walking these roads with Andy. I saw my house in the distance and pointed to it. I thanked Joseph, for everything. All he did was smile, nod and ride away.

I sprinted to the little house that was my home. There was a small light on the dinning table.

"Pa. Pa! Ma!"

Before I could get to the door, ma opened the door and ran to me.

"Albert!"

She got down and hugged me. She was sobbing. I saw pa and Laura run outside over to me. I broke down crying. Ma brought me inside and sat me on the rocking chair by the fireplace. Pa stood by me, trying to calm me down.

"Andy." I said, pulling myself together.

"What is it, Albert? What about Andy?" He asked me.

I just looked at him. He stood up and walked outside. A few minutes later, pa came back with Mr. and Mrs. Garvey. At first, they were happy to see me, but when they realized their son was not with me, the look on their faces hit me like a ton of bricks. I tried to keep myself together when I told them what happened.

"There was these three guys at the side of the road. We went over to see if they needed help. The next thing I knew, Andy and I were tied in the back of their wagon, driving away from town. Then, their wheel broke. They put us in a shack. I don't know why he did it, but Andy tried to fight back. They beat him up. Then, they took me and left him. I don't know where they left him."

I could not talk any more. My jaw was shaking. Tears were forming again. I was surprised I still had tears inside me with all the crying I had been doing. Mrs. Garvey ran outside. I heard her start crying too. Mr. Garvey and ma went outside to comfort her.

"Albert, are you sure you don't remember where they left Andrew?" Pa asked me.

"It was just some old shack on a dirt road. It must have been a few miles out of town." I wanted to tell him the exact location of the shack, but I could not. "North of town."

Pa and Mr. Garvey went out the next morning to put a search party together. Ma went to stay with Mrs. Garvey at her home. Laura took care of Carrie and Grace. I would have helped, but I was doing other things. I went to find pa and Mr. Garvey.

"Pa."

I walked up to pa. The search party was getting ready to leave town.

"Can I go with you?" I asked pa, desperate to find Andy.

"Albert, I don't want to risk losing you again. We're going to search the northern trails and contact the local police. We'll be back tomorrow." He told me.

"I just want to make sure Andy is okay. The last time I saw him, his face was bleeding and bruised. I'm scared."

Pa grabbed me and hugged me.

"It will be okay."


	6. Chapter 6

Alice POV

* * *

It has been three months since I have seen my son. Andrew was taken by three men. Albert, who also was taken, found his way back home. I was happy for the Ingalls, but I could not help but fall apart when Andrew was not with Albert. Then, Albert told Jonathan and I what happened to our son. Andrew was beaten and left in an old shack.

I was sitting at the dinning table, drinking some tea to calm myself. It was late. The nights were getting colder as winter approached. I heard the door open, but I did not turn around. My husband walked up behind me. Jonathan sat besides me and wrapped his arms around me.

A number of search parties travelled the north routes. Despite the effort of the men, no shack was ever found. We asked police in every town to search as well. I originally thought we would have found Andrew a week or two after Albert came back. I hated being wrong. I started to cry every time I thought about my son being lost.

"Alice, I was thinking..." Jonathan spoke softly to me. I probably did not look like myself. I was so upset that I did not even bother with my appearance. "I was thinking that maybe you could go visit your mother next week. It would give you a chance to get out of this house."

"I have to stay." I said without much feeling. "What if Andrew comes home?"

"I will stay here. If he comes back, we will head up to your mother's right away. I just hate seeing you like this."

I understood why he thought that, but I wanted to stay.

"Jonathan, I have to stay. I promise I will try to get some fresh air. I just want to stay for Andrew." I told him.

I did not know what came over me. I felt tears run down my face. Jonathan held me closer.

"My son! I want my son back, Jonathan! Why did they have to take my only son? When is Andrew coming home? When is Andrew going to come home?"

I could not stop crying. I was so tired and depressed. Sometimes, I would wake up in the morning and pretend that Andrew was sleeping in the room next to us. I would pretend Andrew was just fishing or at school. Pretend he was on his way home.

Jonathan helped me stand up. He walked me into our bedroom and laid me down on the bed. He was so gentle. I know he was hurting too. Andrew was everything to us and we were everything to our son. A piece of us went missing when Andrew was kidnapped.

"Alice, I am promising you this: Andrew will come home."

* * *

Albert POV

* * *

The guilt was eating me alive. I know it was not my fault, but I should have done more to save Andy. Every time I fall asleep, I could see Andrew laying in the dirty, beaten. I tried my best to help with the search, but I still had no idea where the shack was. School was the only thing keeping my mind off of Andy still missing.

"Alright class, take out your books and continue reading." Miss Wilder took at a seat in front of the class.

Everyone continued reading the short story we were assigned to finish. I tired to focus on the words in front of me. However, my eyes started to wander. I glanced outside the window. There it was, the first snowfall. Small flakes started to fall from the sky. A few of the younger kids saw the snow and ran up to the windows.

"Children. Take a seat." Miss Wilder instructed the class. They all took their seats.

When Miss Wilder dismissed the class, I did not feel like standing up.

"Albert, is something wrong?" I heard her ask.

I looked up. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to talk to you about your grades."

Oh, no. My grades have been slipping ever since I made it back home. Miss Wilder might want to talk to my ma and pa.

"I have noticed you have been slacking a bit on your homework and have been making unreasonable mistakes on your tests."

"I know, Miss Wilder. I promise I will try to work harder and get my grades back up."

She smiled softly at me and sat down in the seat in front of me. "You have always been a smart boy, so there has to be more to it than just being a little tired. What's really on your mind, Albert?"

It was hard for me to talk about what happened and what I was feeling. "It's just, I'm scared for Andy. It's been so long since I've seen him. I don't want the last time I saw him to be the last time any of us see him."

Her expression saddened. "I don't know what to say anymore, Albert. I really don't."

I understood why Miss Wilder said what she did. You don't want to tell a kid his best friend is never coming back, but as more time passes, it's hard to believe otherwise. I told my teacher I would go home right away and work on my homework.

I walked the same route Andy and I took when we saw those three men stuck on the side of the road. I wondered what would have happened if we never went to talk to them. Andrew would still be in Walnut Grove and I would not be plagued with this gilt. Andrew will come back, I'm sure of it.

* * *

Another State Away

* * *

"I can work."

"You're just a kid. Look at your face. Did your father beat you?"

"I can work!"


	7. Chapter 7

Albert POV

* * *

"Albert, hurry or you are going to be late for school."

I was tying my shoes in the loft when ma called for me. "I'll be right down."

"Come on, Albert. I have to get to school, so I can talk to Miss Wilder about the exam." I heard Laura yell to me. Ever since Miss Wilder hinted that Laura is now more than prepared to take the final exam again, that, besides Almanzo, has been the only thing she wanted to talk about.

I rushed downstairs to meet Laura and Carrie at the front door. "Let's go slow pokes."

The three of us walked to school just like we did every morning. Carrie was asking Laura about what she would do after graduating. I followed close behind, not interested in the conversation. Graduation was still a ways away from me. Plus, I did not want to hear that Laura was thinking about moving away after she got her teaching certificate. I could not lose another childhood friend.

It has been six months since Andrew and I were kidnapped. I have not seen or heard from him since. Things were slowly getting back to normal, but nothing was the same. The Garvey's were still feeling the blow of losing their only son. I cannot blame them. Mr. Garvey says that they are doing alright, but I can still see the saddened look on his face whenever I walk by. I hope they don't blame me for what happened.

When we finally got to school, it was business as usual. We started with reading, then had to finish a history assignment, then ended our day with arithmetic. Miss Wilder was just about to dismiss us, when Laura turned to me.

"Albert, I have to stay after school to talk to Miss Wilder." My adopted-sister told me.

"Do you want me and Carrie to wait for you?" I asked, hoping she would say no.

"Sure. It will only take a few minutes." She smiled. I sighed.

After the class was dismissed, Carrie and I waited outside for our older sister.

"Albert, can you help me with my homework when we get home?" Carrie asked.

"Why don't you try doing it by yourself first. Then, I'll help you with the stuff you really don't understand." I answered her, not wanting to give in.

"Okay. By the way, you have gotten a bit taller."

I rolled my eyes. Kids. But, I guess, I was more of a problem then innocent Carrie.

"Afternoon." I turned around and saw a man in his twenties, maybe, walking towards us. "I was wondering if you two could help me find someone."

I looked at his worn-out, dirty clothes. He looked like a traveler who hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks, or a bath.

"Of course. Who are you looking for?" I asked him.

He held out an envelope. "A Mr. Garvey. Jonathan Garvey. I have a letter from his son here and..."

"Wait! His son?" I cut him off mid-sentence. My eyes widened and my jaw almost dropped. Honestly, I thought my hearing was going. "That letter is from Andy?"

He shook his head. "Yup. Andrew Garvey wanted me to deliver this to his father, explaining what happened."

"Say no more. Mr. Garvey is right over there. Carrie, you stay here." I lead the man over the the mill, where my pa and Mr. Garvey were working. "Mr. Garvey. Mr. Garvey." I almost couldn't speak.

I saw my pa come up to me, then Mr. Garvey followed him.

"What's wrong, Albert?" My pa asked concerningly.

"This man has a letter for you, Mr. Garvey." I said.

The man and Mr. Garvey walked towards each other.

"Hello sir. My name is Alex Thomson. I have a letter for you from your son, Andrew. I met him while working on the railroad out west. When I told him I was passing through here, he asked me to give this to you." He held out the letter and Mr. Garvey took it immediately.

He walked away from us as he opened the envelope and began to read.

"I best be on my way." With a nodded of his head and not another word, Alex walked away and never looked back.

Mr. Garvey walked back to us. I could barely see tears in his eyes. This was the moment we have all been waiting for.

"It says that, after he made it out of the shake, he was picked up by a train traveling west. They dropped him off at a hospital that would take care him. He stayed in that hospital for about a month, until they cleared him. He didn't have any way to get home and he had to pay off some hospital bills. Andy got a job for a shipping company and paid off the hospital. Now, it's only a matter of time before he can afford a train ticket home." The tears were gone and were replaced with a smile Mr. Garvey could not wipe off his face if he tried. "He's been in California all this time."

My pa and I hugged him. I couldn't stop smiling either. We all started laughing with excitement. Andy was alive and he was trying to get back home. Six months of not knowing came to an end. Mr. Garvey checked the date and it was only written a few short days ago. Andy said he might make it back in a week or two. I was going to get my best friend back.

"Well, why you celebrating with us? You've got that boy's mother at home. Go." Once my pa said that, Mr. Garvey took off running to tell his wife about the amazing news.

Watching Jonathan ran home, I could not help myself.

"Albert. Why are you crying, son?"

I looked at my pa. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. He pulled me in and I buried my head in his shoulder.

"It's okay, Albert. Andrew is coming home."


	8. Chapter 8

Lightening streaked across the night sky. Rain hit hard on the ground and buildings of the small town. The only light that could be seen was from the restaurant. Nellie Olsen was wiping down each table, something her father forced her to do. She did not want the restaurant in the first place, but without it, her family might send her away to live on her own. She was almost done with the last few tables when she heard someone walk up to the doors.

Nellie did not want to deal with anyone at this time of night. She looked outside the window and saw a young man, completely soaked. It took her a minute, before something came to her. Nellie ran to the doors and opened them. She pulled the young man inside. He was cold to the touch and coughing.

"Are you okay?" Nellie asked quickly.

The young man looked up at Nellie and spoke in a deeper voice than what the woman expected. "Just drenched. It is nice to see you again."

"I almost didn't recognize you. It has been so long."

* * *

The next morning, Albert Ingalls was walking to school, early. Laura and Carrie were barley even awake when Albert walked out the door. Albert could not sleep and was filled with adrenaline. Four days ago, Mr. Garvey got a letter from his son, saying that he was trying to make his way home. Of course, he was filled with excitement.

The young man thought back to when him and Andrew were kidnapped by three criminals headed to Canada. The two best friends were walking down the street and those men picked them up. It was hard for Albert to remember everything that happened. But what he did remember, was the image of Andy beaten up on the floor.

For the longest time, Albert believed Andy must have not made it out of that shack alive. He blamed himself. He thought back to the family that helped take care of him when the three men let him loss. The kidnap happened over six months ago. That is when Albert realized something and his heart dropped.

Six months. Albert grew up so much in the last few months. God knows how much Andrew has grown up, how much Andrew changed. What if he was not the same person? What if no one could recognize him? What of his personality changed after being on his own for so long? What was going on in his parents minds about finally seeing their son again, a now grown man?

Albert had a wave of fear and unsurety fall over him. Then the worst of the thoughts followed. What if Andrew blamed him? What if he hated him for what happened? Andrew had been beaten, force to work to survive and was separated from his family for months, while Albert recovered in luxury and made it home in a matter of days.

Albert finally made it into town. It was very quiet and the smell of rain filled the air. Luckily, the roads were not too muddy. School would not be open for another hour, nor would any of the other buildings. Albert sat on the stairs leading up to the school house. He scanned the small town. When Albert looked over at the restaurant, he saw someone in the window. There was no way Nellie woke up this early and the person did not have her shape. It was a masculine figure.

The person went to the doors and walked outside. Albert saw something familiar in that person. He did not know if it was the way he stood or walked or his hair, but there was something. The man turned toward the school house, Albert could see his face. It could not be him. He was not supposed to be here for another week.

"Andy!" Albert stood up and called.

"Albert!" It was Andrew Garvey. The months were good to him. He got much taller. His body looked more muscular. His face and hair was more mature. Besides the dirt on his worn clothes and face, it was the same Andrew.

Albert took off running towards his best friend. He was surprised he was not crying. The two joined in a brotherly hug.

"Albert, you made it back! You are okay. When...when did you get back?" Andrew talked very fast. He was so surprised Albert was in Walnut Grove waiting for him.

"After those men dropped you, they left me too. Some family took me in, then brought me back home. I have been home for months. You're mad?"

Andrew shock his head. "I was worried those bastards took you to Canada."

Albert's eyes widened. Where did he learn that? "Your parents were so worried. When did you get back?"

"Last night. I stayed at Nellie's because of the storm. How are my parents?"

"Well, go find out yourself."

Andrew and Albert took off for the Garvey home. The two ran down dirt roads, passing farms and homes, just like nothing changed between them. They ran past the spot where the saw the three men on the side of the road and did not even blink. As they came up to the house, Andrew slowed down. Albert realized Andrew had not seen his own home for months. Albert stayed back as Andrew finally went home.

Andrew slowly opened the door to his home. Everything was just the way he remembered it. Neither of his parents looked to have woken up yet. Andrew walked over to his room and opened the door. Everything in his room was clean and organized. He want back to the table, where he used to eat every night. He really missed his mother's cooking.

He sat there for a few minutes, until he heard a noise coming from his parent's room. What will they do, seeing him home? What if they don't recognize him? Albert almost didn't. Andrew turned toward the door. It opened. His mother walked out and looked up.

"Hi ma." He stuttered with his lower toned voice.

"Andrew...Andrew!" Alice Garvey ran to her son, already in tears. She pulled Andrew in, thanking the Lord for finally brining her son home. Jonathan heard the commotion outside his room. He walked out and saw his wife embracing his only son.

"Andrew!"

"Pa!" Andrew ran to his pa like he was five again. Both of them started crying.

Albert watch from outside. He started tearing up, too.

The days after Andrew Garvey's return home lifted the spirits of everyone in the town. The Garvey's were finally reunited and the Ingall's felt so much relief for their friends. A dinner was even held at Nellie's in celebration of both boys being able to find their way back home. As for Andrew returning a very different person, he was almost the same, just a lot more mature.

Albert and Andrew should have gone back to being best friends, but instead, became more like brothers.


End file.
